Food Aversions and Cravings during Pregnancy on Yasawa Island, Fiji (original) (raw)
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Evolution and Human Behavior, 2015
We report a study on nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and pregnancy-related food aversions in a smallscale society from Yasawa Island, Fiji. Because NVP has rarely been studied quantitatively in small-scale populations, we begin with a detailed description of its expression among the women of Yasawa. We found that 66% of these women experience nausea and/or vomiting in tandem with the development of aversions to certain foods. This pattern of expression is similar to what has been documented for industrialized populations, and the prevalence of 66% is close to the industrialized mean prevalence of 69%. We then use the data from the women of Yasawa to evaluate the three main hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution and ecological function of NVP. We show that food aversions of pregnancy focus preferentially on food types that are more likely to carry pathogens or contain chemical toxins. Such aversions do not focus on nutrient-dense foods or on frequently encountered foods. These findings are most consistent with the hypothesis that NVP, along with pregnancy-related aversions, evolved to motivate women to avoid exposure to diseases and other toxins when they are immune-compromised by pregnancy and during a critical period of embryo development. These findings contribute to a growing body of theoretical and empirical literature that suggests that NVP symptoms represent a series of adaptations rather than pathological responses to the physiological demands of pregnancy.
Evolution and Human Behavior 36, 95–102, 2015
We report a study on nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and pregnancy-related food aversions in a small-scale society from Yasawa Island, Fiji. Because NVP has rarely been studied quantitatively in small-scale populations, we begin with a detailed description of its expression among the women of Yasawa. We found that 66% of these women experience nausea and/or vomiting in tandem with the development of aversions to certain foods. This pattern of expression is similar to what has been documented for industrialized populations, and the prevalence of 66% is close to the industrialized mean prevalence of 69%.We then use the data from the women of Yasawa to evaluate the three main hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution and ecological function of NVP. We show that food aversions of pregnancy focus preferentially on food types that are more likely to carry pathogens or contain chemical toxins. Such aversions do not focus on nutrient-dense foods or on frequently encountered foods. These findings are most consistent with the hypothesis that NVP, along with pregnancy-related aversions, evolved to motivate women to avoid exposure to diseases and other toxins when they are immune-compromised by pregnancy and during a critical period of embryo development. These findings contribute to a growing body of theoretical and empirical literature that suggests that NVP symptoms represent a series of adaptations rather than pathological responses to the physiological demands of pregnancy.
Food Cravings and Aversions during Pregnancy: A Current Snapshot
Food cravings are very common during pregnancy, along with food aversions in many instances, yet their underlying causes are not well understood. Food cravings are usually met with the consumption of the craved food, which generally include unhealthy foods, that is, sweet/fat and salty/spicy foods. It is important to follow a healthy diet during pregnancy in order to promote healthy outcomes for both mother and infant, but with the consumption of unhealthy craved foods a healthy diet may be difficult to maintain. The objective of this survey was to obtain a current snapshot of food cravings during pregnancy, while also comparing differences between cravers and non-cravers. The results showed that 59% of surveyed mothers had experienced cravings. Having food cravings were associated with greater weight gain during pregnancy, but also an increased intent to breastfeed. Sweets as a category, along with fruits and vegetables, were recorded as being the most craved foods. Cravers of sweets tended to be of normal weight and were likelier to have given birth to girls. In contrast, women that craved fruits and vegetables were likelier to be overweight, and were more likely to have given birth to boys. While reported by nearly one in four of the mothers who craved fruits and vegetables, pica, or the craving of non-food items, was nearly nonexistent among the sweet cravers. These results support previous findings that food cravings remain as a normative phenomenon, but while evident for the majority of mothers, can vary tremendously in terms of foods that are preferred.
The onset of cravings for items not typically desired is often considered a hallmark of pregnancy. Given the ubiquity of cravings, this phenomenon remains surprisingly understudied. The current study tested four hypotheses of pregnancy food cravings: behavioural immune system, nutrient seeking, resource scarcity and social bargaining. The research took place in Tamil Nadu, South India, with pregnant women residing in rural villages (N = 94). Methods included structured interviews and anthropometric measures. Findings revealed that unripe mango and unripe tamarind were the two most frequently mentioned food cravings among this population, but were not sufficiently supported by the a priori models. Results confirmed that the social bargaining model was the best explanation for the etic category of toxic/pathogenic food items, suggesting that pregnant women crave dangerous foods when experiencing heightened social pressures. Finally, toxicity/pathogenicity was a confounding factor for the nutrient seeking and resource scarcity models, calling into question the validity of these models in adverse environments. Overall, these findings present important implications for research on pregnancy food cravings, such that in resource-scarce and pathogen-dense environments, cravings might target teratogenic items that signal a need for increased social support.
Evolution and Human Behavior, 2017
Pregnancy increases women's nutritional requirements, yet causes aversions to nutritious foods. Most societies further restrict pregnant women's diet with food taboos. Pregnancy food aversions are theorized to protect mothers and fetuses from teratogens and pathogens or increase dietary diversity in response to resource scarcity. Tests of these hypotheses have had mixed results, perhaps because many studies are in Westernized populations with reliable access to food and low exposure to pathogens. If pregnancy food aversions are adaptations, however, then they likely evolved in environments with uncertain access to food and high exposure to pathogens. Pregnancy food taboos, on the other hand, have been theorized to limit resource consumption, mark social identity, or also protect mothers and fetuses from dangerous foods. There have been few tests of evolutionary theories of culturally transmitted food taboos. We investigated these and other theories of psychophysiological food aversions and culturally transmitted food taboos among two non-Western populations of pregnant women in Mysore, India, that vary in food insecurity and exposure to infectious disease. The first was a mixed caste rural farming population (N=72), and the second was the Jenu Kurubas, a resettled population of former hunter-gatherers (N=30). Women rated their aversions to photos of 31 foods and completed structured interviews that assessed aversions and socially learned avoidances of foods, pathogen exposure, food insecurity, sources of culturally acquired dietary advice, and basic sociodemographic information. Aversions to spicy foods were associated with early trimester and nausea and vomiting, supporting a protective role against plant teratogens. Variation in exposure to pathogens did not explain variation in meat aversions or avoidances, however, raising some doubts about the importance of pathogen avoidance. Aversions to staple foods were common, but were not associated with resource stress, providing mixed support for the role of dietary diversification. Avoided foods outnumbered aversive foods, were believed to be abortifacients or otherwise harmful to the fetus, influenced diet throughout pregnancy, and were largely distinct from aversive foods. These results suggest that aversions target foods with cues of toxicity early in pregnancy, and taboos target suspected abortifacients throughout pregnancy.
Food aversions and cravings during early pregnancy: association with nausea and vomiting
Ecology of food and nutrition
The prospective cohort study examined whether Ecuadorian women with early pregnancy nausea and vomiting (NVP) are more likely to develop food aversions and cravings, and if so, whether the specific foods identified as aversive or craved are the same as those predicted by the popular maternal-embryo protection hypothesis (MEPH). Consistent with MEPH predictions, women with NVP were more likely to report increased odor sensitivity and aversions for some predicted "toxic" foods and more likely to crave fruits. However, other hypothesis predictions were not supported. The relationship of food aversions and cravings with NVP appears more complicated than that explained by the MEPH.
Food cravings, aversions and pica among pregnant women in Dar es
2009
Abstract: Food cravings, aversions and pica are common during pregnancy and may have a significant input on pregnancy progress and outcome. A study was carried out to determine the frequency and duration of pronounced dietary cravings, aversions and pica during pregnancy among 204 pregnant and lactating women attending two health facilities in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. Nausea and vomiting were reported by 82.8 % of all women of which 43.2 % experienced severe nausea alone, 9.5 % severe vomiting alone and 35.5% experienced severe vomiting and nausea. Mild cases of each of the symptoms either occurring alone or both of them occurring together were also reported. Both behaviours were observed more in <3 months of pregnancy. The proportions of women with dietary cravings, aversions, and pica were 73.5%, 70.1 % and 63.7 % of all women respectively. More women (70.1%) experienced both food cravings and aversions than either symptom alone. Foods craved most were meat (23.3%), mangoe...
Potential mechanisms and modulators of food intake during pregnancy
Frontiers in Nutrition
Dietary choice during pregnancy is crucial not only for fetal development, but also for long-term health outcomes of both mother and child. During pregnancy, dramatic changes in endocrine, cognitive, and reward systems have been shown to take place. Interestingly, in different contexts, many of these mechanisms play a key role in guiding food intake. Here, we review how food intake may be impacted as a function of pregnancy-induced changes across species. We first summarize changes in endocrine and metabolic signaling in the course of pregnancy. Then, we show how these may be related to cognitive function and reward processing in humans. Finally, we link these to potential drivers of change in eating behavior throughout the course of pregnancy.
Nutritional behavior in pregnancy
Ginekologia Polska, 2019
Objectives: The aim of the study was to characterize nutritional behavior in pregnancy. Material and methods: The survey study included 250 pregnant women. The survey concerned dietary behavior reffered to the type of diet, the number of meals per day, snacking between meals, consumption of meat, fish, dairy products, bread, fruits and vegetables. Results: 88.8% of the respondents were not on a special diet. The most of the women ate more than three times a day. The women usually ate fruits and vegetables, yogurt and sweets as snacks between meals. The majority of respondents consumed meat and sliced meats twice or once a day with the preference of poultry. Only 17.6% of them ate fish with the recommended frequency and as much as 21.2% chose not-recommended species. Almost 29.6% of patients consumed 3 to 4 servings of milk or milk products a day and 16.8% of them excluded milk. Half of the respondents declared eating wheat bread and 24% of them chose wheat roll during pregnancy. Despite the large number of women who consumed wheat baking, a considerable amount of women chose wholemeal bread and wholemeal rolls. Nutritional behaviors were correlated with on education level and weight gain during pregnancy. Conclusions: The frequency of meals was adequate for the most of pregnant women as well as recommended consumption of meat with poultry preference. However, the inappropriate nutrition was also observed in a low consumption of fish and dairy products, a high consumption of wheat breadstuff and sweets, as well as in a small intake of milk. Education level and weight gain during pregnancy were associated with nutritional behaviors.
Eating in the Absence of Hunger Is Related to Worse Diet Quality throughout Pregnancy
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2021
Background Scant research has examined whether laboratory assessments of eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) relates to long-term diet quality. Objective This study investigates the association of EAH with diet quality during pregnancy. Design Pregnancy diet quality was assessed using 24-hour diet recalls collected in each pregnancy trimester. EAH was assessed in a counterbalanced, crossover laboratory feeding substudy in which participants completed two free access eating occasions following a standardized meal during their second pregnancy trimester. Participants/setting Data were collected from March 2015 to December 2016 from a subsample of participants (n ¼ 46) enrolled at 12 weeks' gestation in an observational, prospective cohort study (the Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study) in North Carolina. Intervention Participants were presented with highly processed (HP) and minimally processed (MP) foods in two separate assessments. Main outcome measures Scores for total Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and adherence to adequacy and moderation components were calculated from the diet recalls. Higher scores reflect better diet quality. Statistical analyses performed Linear regressions estimated associations of pregnancy diet quality with EAH (energy, EAH-kcal; and percent offered, EAH-%) in each condition for all foods, and separately for sweet and savory foods. Results Lower pregnancy diet quality (all indicators) was associated with greater EAH (EAH-kcal and EAH-%) of all foods and sweet foods in the HP condition. Each 100-kcal increase in EAH of HP foods was associated with a 2-to 3-point decrease (standard error ¼ 0.7 to 0.8) in HEI-2015 (P < 0.01); each 10% increase in EAH of HP foods was associated with a 5-to 7-point decrease (standard error ¼ 2.0) in HEI-2015 (P < 0.01). Greater EAH (energy and percent offered) of savory food intake in the HP condition was associated with a lower HEI-2015 adequacy component score, but was not associated with the HEI-2015 or HEI-2015 moderation component scores. EAH in the MP condition was not associated with pregnancy diet quality. Conclusions Greater EAH of HP, especially sweet, foods was related to worse pregnancy diet quality. Consuming HP sweets after meal termination may reflect a tendency for eating beyond satiation and may be a useful intervention target for improving maternal diet quality.